Ben Affleck had also struggled with alcoholism prior to this movie. Affleck had gone back into rehab before filming and finished his program just in time! Director Gavin O'Connor mentioned, "Ben had literally gotten out of rehab the day we started shooting the movie." Ben Affleck stated that he went through a similar journey to the character he portrayed, and that he thought the role helped him improve his own life.
The movie's original title was The Has-Been.